


Maybe when the sky starts missing snow

by Spylace



Series: Three-dog nights [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Fluff, Government Conspiracy, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Mutant Politics, Mutant Powers, Mutant Rights, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Psychological Trauma, but not until later, please mind the warnings, this is not a happy fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-10 09:12:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2019420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spylace/pseuds/Spylace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was supposed to be their happy ending. Their ticket out. Steve knew that the road to recovery would be hard but what he didn’t realize was the firestorm he’d bring down on their heads when Captain America dies and his best friend is thrust in the spotlight for treason against the country.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe when the sky starts missing snow

**Author's Note:**

> This would be the angsty sequel to [Only if the sun is brought low](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1827931) which is basically _if Avengers were mutants with mutant powers_. You probably need to read it to figure out who's who, what's what, why does this happen but long story short, Steve's mutation was caused by the serum. Bucky was born a mutant. Everyone falls in between. 
> 
> Thus, this can be translated as post-movie fallout as X-men.

In autumn, Natasha returns to New York with a friend in tow.

Bucky places himself firmly in between, a tired habit Steve’s been trying to break. “She’s a spider.” He explains with wounded eyes and she smirks ‘ex’ before turning to a seat with a sway of her hips as Natasha introduces—“This is Lena. She’s a private consultant.”

“How do you do?” Steve greets politely and to appease Bucky, does not shake her hand.

“Charmed, I’m sure.” The woman replies, rolling the tip of her tongue over her bee-stung lips. She observes them both with frost-rimmed eyes, a provocative tilt of her head that has Bucky shaking with tension. “You were right.” Lena drawls, grinding her diamond heels in the carpet as she leans forward. “This is all very interesting.”

Steve pointedly does not look down her shirt.

“I’m sorry but, what are you talking about?”

It’s Natasha who answers, sighing as she warns her friend to behave.

“She can help—“

“—no she can’t—“ Bucky bites off, looking like he would like nothing more than to put a bullet between their eyes. He quickly puts a calming hand on her knee and demands, “Explain, now.”

Lena waves him off.

“He is a mutant yes? A level-5. Winter Soldier, it is an honor.”

“Was.” Bucky’s tone leaves no room for arguments. “I don’t need your help Belova.”

“You remember my name.” The blonde is pleased. Steve gets an itch in his head like ants are trying to bore past his ear. He should know this feeling but he can’t quite place it. Steve crooks an elbow and scratches his back. In a blink of an eye, Bucky has a knife at their guest’s throat.

“Don’t.” He says and she replies graciously, “You can try.”

Her skin pales, crystallizing into the frosted heart of a diamond. “But I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Stop.” Steve says and enough of the captain remains that Bucky turns to him with the focus of a jessed falcon tempted with a strip of meat and Lena sits back in the chair, graceful even as she slouches and picks at the thread coming out of the seat.

“Very well.” She sighs, throwing Natasha a long-suffering look. When Natasha gives her a mild stare, the blonde woman continues, “I have been told you are in need of my services.”

“And what’s that?”

“She’s a telepath.” Bucky drones. Steve glances at her wrist but there is no band to denote her ranking. “Yelena Belova, level-4. Interrogation and tactics, capable of turning her body into organic diamond.”

“Please.” The woman coos, “Every girl likes to keep a bit of mystery.”

“We’re done here.” Bucky tells Natasha in a flat voice. He stands and extends a hand for Steve to get up. But Steve remains seated.

“Just what exactly do you think you can help with?”

He isn’t stupid, he knows Bucky doesn’t sleep and that when he does, he goes outside in the dark where he can’t be heard. Steve wants Bucky to be okay, he needs Bucky to be okay but Bucky is not okay.

Losing his powers, it was supposed to be a ticket to their happy ending. He’s no beholden to his country, to the people, to the world. Steve only sees cloudy days ahead and he doesn’t know how to fix it, he can’t fix it without his powers or the phoenix on his skin. Bucky looks at him sometimes, like he knows what he’s thinking and tells him, it’s okay. That he’s okay. It’s not okay.

Natasha’s thrown him a lifeline and he stares at her through the corner of her eyes to thank her. Maybe she’ll use it to chip away at the red in her ledger or barter for something else—it doesn’t matter. After the fall of Shield, he’s got no one to turn to for something like this. There is no one to turn to for something like this. But he trusts Natasha and maybe Natasha’s right, Lena can help. She certainly can’t hurt.

The woman’s smile broadens, suddenly coy.

“I’d like to try my hand at deprogramming the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky jerks back so fast it’s a small wonder he doesn’t trip behind the couch. But his protective instincts are strong and it flares like this at the worst of times. Natasha’s got her guns out Miss Belova’s turned herself into a living shield. Bucky’s got a metal arm and he can level the entire city if he has a mind to. Belova raises her hand as a gesture of peace.

It’s odd when she speaks because she is beautiful, blinding, like a sculpture cut by a master’s hand. She looks like she belongs in a museum, a centerpiece for the tributes her admirers place at her feet. Slowly, she melts back into gold hair and milk-white skin.

“You’re dangerous.” She addresses Bucky. “You want to protect him but you can’t be sure how, you don’t even know if you trust yourself. I can help you with that. I can make the nightmares go away—oh don’t worry about your pretty little head.” She scoffs when the air grows cold and water condenses on the side of glass panes. Her expression grows ugly as though she’s been reminded of her shortcomings and had them shown through a mirror. “I can’t actually reprogram your mind, I doubt anyone can. The best Hydra could do was excise your brain and hope it lasted.”

Steve felt sick. Bucky snarled.

“No deal.”

“Steve Rogers is a security blanket.” She says haughtily. “Take that away and what are you? Are you sure you won’t lash out? At him?”

Steve furrows his brow in confusion.

“You’ve lost me.”

Belova waved a hand.

“You’ve left a barrier in his head. It’s strong but you obviously didn’t know what you were doing.”

“Obviously.” Steve agrees mildly. “Since I don’t have my powers.”

She stares at him like a curiosity, appraising him for more than an antique piece thrown to the wayside. “Then you must have put it in before your powers went away.” She says, like it’s a tragedy. Steve was born human but sometimes others forget.

“Bucky.”

The other man shakes his head.

“No.”

Natasha begins to move.

“We’re done here.” She informs her friend before holstering her guns. Belova uncurls herself with feline grace, seemingly flow from heel to heel as she flicks a card with a string of numbers written on the back. Holding Bucky’s gaze, she purrs “If you change your mind.”

“I won’t.” Bucky says.

Steve just sighs.


End file.
